Complexities of debt

I was just going over my days mail and text messages when one jumps to my attention. It is from my dentist, and it seems I owe him $5. In addition to the debt, it is past due by more than 90 days. I actually had a crown installed about 70 days ago, and I received a letter from my insurance company explaining what they would cover. It says that they are covering the costs of the crown in its entirety. I was ecstatic.

So now I receive correspondence that I owe someone $5. Not having a clue, I call the dentist office and talk with the office manager. She assures me that I am not in danger of being put into debtors’ prison or being hounded by collectors. As a matter of fact, she could not detect the sense of humor of mine which precipitated the call. I was trying to be funny, but she was having no part in it.

I got a lengthy explanation of how they and the insurance company work. It seems that they are notified of the insurance coverage as an estimate, and this takes place long before any work is done. So, by the time the actual bill is sent, it is over 90 days past due.

I’m so glad I learned that. I have an appointment scheduled in a couple of weeks. Guess I will drop off the $5 when I’m there.